Govt commits $72 mil for Rotorua Lakes clean-up
Rt Hon Helen Clark
Prime Minister
Hon Trevor
Mallard
Minister for the Environment
26 March
2008 Media Statement
Embargoed until 11.15 am
Wednesday 26 March 2008
Govt commits
$72 million for Rotorua Lakes clean-up
The
Labour-led Government is committing $72.1 million over ten
years to a programme to clean up the most seriously degraded
Rotorua lakes, Prime Minister Helen Clark, Environment
Minister Trevor Mallard and Conservation Minister and local
MP Steve Chadwick announced in Rotorua today.
"This investment recognises both the importance of this restoration programme and the significance of the Rotorua lakes for the people of Te Arawa, for the Rotorua district, and for New Zealand as a whole," Helen Clark said.
The
government funding announced today represents half of the
$144.2 million cost of the restoration programme. The other
fifty per cent will be contributed by Rotorua District
Council and Environment Bay of Plenty.
Helen Clark said
that New Zealanders are becoming acutely aware of the need
to act on the state of our country’s freshwater resource.
Most recently the report on the state of the New Zealand
Environment earlier this year, warned that many of our water
resources are in decline.
"The Rotorua Lakes are a
dramatic example of the problem we face - all are either
degraded or at risk environmentally. Already several of the
lakes suffer from algal blooms which restrict their
recreational use.
“Rotorua is acknowledged as one of the richest jewels in New Zealand’s tourism crown. Its lakes have iconic status and have long been a draw card for visitors to the region. It is vitally important that they are cleaned up to secure their future health and their ability to contribute to sustainable tourism.
“The restoration plan for the lakes is ambitious – and it needs to be. The Government’s commitment of fifty per cent of the restoration cost ensures that the job can be done properly and that these lakes are rescued for future generations to enjoy. Four lakes have been prioritised under the programme: Rotorua, Rotoiti, Okareka, and Rotoehu,” Helen Clark said.
Environment Minister Trevor Mallard said the government's support reflects the priority the government is putting on water quality and water management.
"Looking after New Zealand's water bodies, lakes and rivers is a top priority for the Labour-led Government. That is what the Sustainable Water Programme of Action is all about. This latest government support for Rotorua follows previous government help since 2003, including evaluation work on the scope of the Rotorua lakes’ problem, short term remedial work, community waste water upgrades, land user initiatives, and science and research."
Rotorua MP and Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick welcomed the announcement as a huge boost for the region.
"I know how important and precious the lakes are to everyone in this region, and I'm very pleased our Labour-led Government has recognised this by working in partnership with the local communities and sharing the burden of the clean-up. Thanks must also go to all the groups and individuals who are part of the Rotorua Lakes Protection and Restoration Action Programme," Steve Chadwick said.
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Attached:
Question & Answer sheet
Questions and
Answers
What does the clean-up entail?
The
clean-up programme entails individual action plans for each
of the lakes.
The key components are:
• Construction
or extension of sewerage works to pick up waste from
un-sewered lakeside communities around lakes Rotorua,
Rotoiti and Okareka.
• Treatment or diversion of
nutrient-rich streams flowing into Lakes Rotorua and
Rotoehu.
• Capping lake sediments to lock up nutrients
coming up from the beds of Lakes Rotorua and
Rotoiti.
• Construction of wetlands, and land
management changes to reduce the nutrients coming in from
surrounding land.
• Harvesting and disposal of weeds
from Lake Rotoehu.
A large portion of the Government contribution will go towards extending sewerage reticulation around the lakes. The government already contributes to community sewerage schemes through the Sanitary Works Subsidy Scheme administered through the Ministry of Health.
What has caused the lakes to be so polluted and how
badly polluted are they?
The lakes suffer from
degraded water quality (ie high nutrient status) and algal
blooms mainly due to land use and farming practices,
discharges of human sewage (septic tanks and municipal
sewage).
The four priority lakes have excessive nutrient load known as, four other lakes risk turning to this state if nutrient inputs are not reduced, and the remaining four will degrade over time if nutrient inputs are not managed.
How will the funding work?
The government
funding will get progressively paid out as the clean-up
meets certain trigger points (to ensure public money is well
spent. These trigger points will enable research and testing
to be undertaken to make sure the proposed interventions
will be successful.
For example, the capping of the sediments of large lakes like Rotorua and Rotoiti is a technically complex undertaking which will need further research and testing before proceeding to the implementation phase.
Who will undertake the cleanup?
The
clean up and restoration programme for the 12 lakes is being
undertaken by the Rotorua Lakes Strategy Group (mandated by
the Te Arawa Lakes Settlement, this group comprises
representatives from Te Arawa Lakes Trust, Rotorua District
Council and Environment Bay of
Plenty).
ENDS